For the general VLSI design, a LIFO memory, or a stack, is a common part of an IC for particular purposes. This kind of memory needs a pointer generator to generate pointer values pointing to a certain address of the memory while reading or writing data.
Pointer generators of the prior art adopt up-down counters. When data is written into the stack, 1 is added to the pointer value, which points to a next address. When data is read from the stack, 1 is subtracted from the pointer value, which points to a previous address. However, the up-down counters have defects—huge layout area and low operating frequency, and, hence, are not suitable for small and speedy electronic devices.